Are you watching or will He come as a thief, completely to your surprise?
Those who think He is delaying His return He calls scoffers. The devil reinforces the scoffers thought process. What about you, do you wake thinking maybe He'll come today?
2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
If you are not watching could you miss being taken when He comes for His bride?
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Bold text my emphasis)
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Could you miss being taken? The foolish virgins missed it!
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Matthew 25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
The five foolish virgins were locked out and He told them 'I do not know you'.
Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
Luke 21:34 [ The Importance of Watching ] “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
If you have been watching you are aware His return is imminent!
The headlines are full of Apocalyptic events, UFOs, weather wars, geoengineering the atmosphere, earthquakes, the election process and general chaos. Are you focused on these events? Are these the signs of the end of the age? See Matthew 24:3-14 "These are the beginning of sorrows".
As believers we need to be aware of our surroundings and events so we can pray and intercede on behalf of Christ and His people. We are called to battle, we are given armor for our protection; see Ephesians 6:10-18, our main duty is, "being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints".
When we take our eyes off Christ because of these events the enemy gains ground. If the enemy can distract you during these events, what will you do when things get real bad during the Great Tribulation? We need to practice NOW in maintaining our focus on Christ and His assignment given to us, to "watch unto prayer".
How will you know when things are going to get worse? When you see the 'abomination of desolation', standing in the holy place!
The beginning event of The Great Tribulation is the 'abomination of desolation', standing in the holy place; the Great Tribulation is a forty two month or three and one half year event, followed by God's wrath... We'll see it, Unless, we have been counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass. Luke 21:36
The Great Tribulation
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
Revelation 11:2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
Revelation 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
Daniel 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Daniel 12:7 Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
Revelation 12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
Who is the women in Revelation 12:14? The 'Bride'? Are you thinking the bride departed to meet the Lord in the air during the pretribulation rapture before all this stuff happens? (Ref 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) Note: the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive will be caught up together with them. The dead rising is the first resurrection mentioned in the Bible. see Revelation 20:5,6) This is the only place in the Bible you will find the first resurrection and it is part of the second coming of Christ, not pretrib.
Strong's # 1135 defines woman in Revelation 12:14 as a wife:-wife, woman.
The woman, wife, (bride?), fly's into the wilderness and is protected for 3 & 1/2 years. Lets look at Revelation 12:14 in context.
The Woman Persecuted
Revelation 12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Will you be among those who escape the Great Tribulation?
The Importance of Watching
Luke 21:34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Bold text my emphasis)
The days will be shortened for the elect's sake.
Matthew 24:22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Mark 13:20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
Will you be departing in the hoped for and widely taught pretribulation, rapture, or on an Eagles wings to the wilderness?
Will you go through the great tribulation because you weren't watching?
Note: The Bible does not does not identify a 7 year tribulation period; the Bible does identify the great tribulation lasting 42 months or 3 and one years (3 & 1/2).
Watch, pray, ask for the Holy Spirits guidance and discernment, and be ready with your lamps full of oil and your wicks trimmed.
Amen
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